Spencer and Ashley
by A Mind That Sits Still
Summary: Look inside.


**A/N:This story was written about 14 years ago. It was my very first completed short story. I decided to replace the names into South Of Nowhere characters. Only things that is mine, the plot and all the mistakes.**

I would like to tell you a story about a girl named Spencer Carlin. She is very popular at the King High school. Everybody likes her because of the way she acts towards them. She doesn't put them in categories, like some people do. She is a true friend to all.

Spencer started a club that everybody would be able to join. It's called "Friends Forever." Everybody at King High is in it but one person. The person's name is Ashley Davies. She is new at King High this year. She has Cerebral Palsy. She uses a liberator to help her to talk to people and a power wheelchair to move around.

Even after two months at King High, Ashley hasn't made any friends. She thought about talking to Spencer, but she hasn't got the guts to talk to anybody. Ashley thinks if she tries to talk to Spencer, Spencer would think Ashley isn't cool enough to hang out with the cool kids.

At Ashley's old school, she was popular. Everybody liked her. Her mom wanted her daughter to be in a normal high school because Ashley was way too smart for the S.C.S. School. Ashley didn't want to switch schools because all her friends were there. Now she's at King High struggling to fit in with her peers.

On one afternoon, Ms. Lewis the writing teacher noticed Ashley was having a tough time making friends. Ms. Lewis knew it from the way Ashley was writing and acting. Ashley's mom showed Ms. Lewis some of Ashley's poems and stories. They were so great.

Ms. Lewis thought of an idea. She knew Ashley is an expert at Sign Language. Ms. Lewis knew a lot about Sign Language. "That is it. I will pair two people up and they have to write a story about disabled people, and when they read their story, they will have to do it in sign language instead of reading it out loud. I'm a genius!" said Ms. Lewis.

Ashley came in. Looking like she was going to cry. Ms. Lewis rushed over to see what was wrong with her. 'Ashley are you ok?" asked Ms. Lewis. Ashley just shook her head, "no". "Do you miss your friends?" Ms. Lewis asked. "Yes I miss all of my friends. I've been in this school for two months and I haven't made any friends." said Ashley.

Spencer was going to ask Ms. Lewis a question but when she got to the doorway of the class, she noticed Ashley and Ms. Lewis were talking. Spencer couldn't stop herself from evesdropping.

"Nobody even notices me. And when I try to talk to Spencer, I wimp out." said Ashley. "Hold on. Is she talking about me? " Spencer thought. "Why do you wimp out when you try to talk to Spencer?" asked Ms. Lewis. Now Spencer knew they were talking about her. "She is the most popular girl at King High. If I try to say hi to her, I'm scared that she might blow me off like the other kids." said Ashley.

At that moment, someone started walking down the hall towards Ms. Lewis's class. Spencer hid in her locker. This wasn't the first time that she had to hide in her locker. There were other times that she had hidden from a boy she didn't want to see. She can be in small places because of her thin body. Spencer waited until the footsteps were out of hearing reach. Spencer quietly got out so nobody knew that she was in her locker. She got back to her evesdropping spot.

"So you just assume that Spencer is going to blow you off like the others did?" asked Ms. Lewis. Ashley thought about it, and quietly nodded. "So you were popular at your old school. You knew everybody there." said Ms. Lewis. A small smile starts to form on Ashley's face. "Yes everybody liked me and I liked everybody. I didn't care who they were. I don't judge people by the way they look." said Ashley. "Okay, but what makes you think that Spencer would blow you off like the other kids? She is just like you. She likes everybody. No matter what, when somebody has a problem, she's there, but nobody is there for her. She keeps it in like you." said Ms. Lewis.

Spencer reacted strongly to what Ms. Lewis just said. "If Ashley wants to talk to me. She can talk to me. I 'm not like the others." thought Spencer, feeling kind of guilty that she was listening in on their conversation. She has noticed Ashley and feels sorry for her. Her friends calls Ashley "Crippled girl" and other names. It got so bad that Spencer couldn't take it any longer. Spencer doesn't let people tease other people, so she stands up for Ashley. She knows how Ashley feels. Last year, she moved to California from Pennsylvania. She was the new girl and kids teased her.

"You need to try it out or you will never know how Spencer would act towards you. I know you two have a lot in common, but you don't know it yet." said Ms. Lewis. Ashley checked for the time. "Can we talk later? Lunch break is almost over and I need to go to the ladies rest room." asked Ashley. "Ok. C-ya at the last period." said Ms. Lewis. Spencer ran to her locker and pretended to be getting a book .

When Ashley came out of the ladies rest room, Spencer was waiting by the door. Ashley got a nervous feeling in her stomach. Ashley stopped and was figuring out what to say to Spencer. "Hi, my name is Spencer Carlin. What is yours?" asked Spencer. Ashley was smiling and punched in her name. "Haven't I seen you in the newsletter?" said Spencer. "Yes I'm the editor of the King High newsletter," said Ashley. The bell rang. Spencer and Ashley said their goodbyes and then went to their different ways.

Ashley couldn't pay any attention to the Language Arts teacher. All she knew was that the teacher was talking about American Indians. Ashley was trying to figure it out. "Why did she talk to me? Did Ms. Lewis told Spencer what I told her?" thought Ashley. The word "homework" snapped her into reality. "Do a five hundred word report on American Indians by tomorrow. " said the teacher.

Ashley's heart fell to the floor because tonight she had planned on going to the museum with her friends from SCS. Ashley's hand shot up. "Yes Ashley." said the teacher. "You should at least give us two days because we have a lot of homework from the other classes. I'm not trying to make you feel sorry for me, but I'm doing this for everyone." said Ashley.

Everyone applauded for her, even the teacher. "Okay class, you have two days. Ashley, I bet everyone didn't think you had it in you!" said the teacher. Everyone ran out of the class but Ashley. "Thank you and good bye." said Ashley. She drove out before the language arts teacher had a chance to say anything. Ashley's heart was still beating hard, because she only had five minutes before the next class.

She got to her locker and opened it, but somebody had trashed it. Ashley's heart sank. Somebody had written FREAK on her locker door. Ashley couldn't look at the sight. She put her power wheelchair on the highest it could go. Ashley raced to the office and asked to talk to Mr. Woods immediately. Mr. Woods is the principal of Coke High. Ashley was in tears, the office lady went to get Mr. Woods. She told him that somebody had trashed her locker. Mr. Woods was very upset that somebody did that to Ashley. So Mr. Woods took Ashley to Math class. He explained why Ashley was late to class.

Everybody was staring at Ashley, wondering why her eyes are "bloodshot" red. All Ashley could think about is who did such of a thing to her locker. Before the bell rang the teacher passed out a packet of math problems to everybody and said, "Have this packet in before next Tuesday. Don't use a calculator for this. I'm not grading you for this. I just want to see how much do you know without a calculator. Is that understood?" Everybody said ok.

A student's hand went up. "Yes, Aiden, what is your question?" said the teacher. "Would you tell us how did we did on this?" asked Aiden. Everybody nodded. They were thinking about that. "Yes I will tell you the results on this, in private." said the teacher. The bell rang and everybody put their packet in their math folder. Ashley was the first one out of the classroom. She needed to go to the bathroom.

So she found somebody in her last period class to tell Ms. Lewis that she's in the ladies room. As soon as she got into the bathroom, tears ran down her face. After she went to the bathroom, the door opened and it was Spencer. Ms. Lewis sent Spencer to check on Ashley. Spencer could tell that Ashley was crying by the way Ashley looked. "Do you need help with anything?" asked Spencer. Ashley was trying to hide her face, but Spencer already knew. "No, I'm finished. Thanks for asking." said Ashley. She turned on her wheelchair and pressed the button to open the door.

"Wait up Ashley." said stopped and turned around to see how close Spencer was. Spencer was about three feet behind Ashley. When Spencer caught up with Ashley, she slowly drove down the hallway. "Are you ok?" asked Spencer. Ashley  
took a minute before answering. "Besides someone trashing my locker, I'm ok." said Ashley. Ms. Lewis's classroom is coming up, so Ashley speeds up and Spencer had to jog to keep up with her.

Ms. Lewis was still doing the role call, so they didn't interrupt anything  
important. Ms. Lewis starts sign language. Everybody was confused but Spencer and Ashley. Spencer raised her hand. Ms. Lewis signed "yes". Spencer signed and asked "Why are you signing? I don't think everybody else knows what are you saying." "Wow, Spencer I'm impressed! The reason why I'm signing is because I want you guys to write a report about disabled people. I want you to work in pairs. Ashley has it different. She has to do a report on her partner because she is already disabled. Back to what I'm saying, in order to present your report, you have to "sign" it . If anybody has a problem about this assignment, you will flunk Writing this marking period. Do I make my self clear?" said Ms. Lewis.

A student named Madison raised her hand. "Yes Madison" said Ms. Lewis. "Why are you making us do this?" asked Madison. Ms. Lewis replied,"Can I ask you a question? What do you think about disabled people?" "I think they are freaks." said Madison. "Excuse me?" said Spencer. She stood up. "This what I think about disabled people. I think that disabled people are just like us. My sister is disabled, and she can't do anything like you or me, but she is smart, and nobody is a freak." said Spencer. Everybody applauded. "But some disabled people aren't smart." said Madison. "That is why, I assigned you to do this special report. I want you to know how hard it is for the disabled person. I know most of you don't realize how easy your life is compared to a disabled person's life." said Ms. Lewis.

"Ashley, can you do me a favor?" asked Ms. Lewis. Ashley had a bad feeling about this. "Sure, what is your favor?" said Ashley. "Could you go in the front of the class and answer their questions?" asked Ms. Lewis. "Oh I guess I can answer everybody's questions." said Ashley. Ashley drove up to the chalkboard and turned around so she was facing her classmates. "Okay, shoot." said Ashley.

Everybody raised their hands. Ashley looks to Ms. Lewis for help. "Pick a person." said Ms. Lewis. "Ok, Madison." said Ashley. Madison stood up. "What do you like to do for fun?" asked Madison. "I love hanging out with my friends and writing stories and poetry. I like to do alot of stuff." answered Ashley. "Oh that's cool." said Madison. She sat down in her chair.

"Aiden, do you have a question?" asked Ashley. Aiden stood up. "Do you envy people because they can walk?" asked Aiden. "Of course, yes, because I can't go half of the places they go, and they don't have almost a whole store of people staring at them." said Ashley. "Man, if I was disabled, I would have a nervous breakdown." said Aiden. He sat down. "Excuse me, Ashley. I have a question to ask you." said Spencer. Ashley was shocked.

"Sure, why not." said Ashley. "Would you like to go to the Rock and Roll Museum with me?" asked Spencer. Everybody was shocked, including Ms. Lewis. "Oh boy you don't know what that means to me, but I am going with my friends. You can join us if you want to." said Ashley. "Ok, when are you going there?" asked Spencer. "We're meeting there around five. There would be five people in the  
group if you hang with us." said Ashley. "Ok Ashley I will hang with your group." said Spencer.

That brought a huge smile to Ashley's face. Wow Spencer Carlin wants to hang with me. Thought Ashley. "Thank you Ashley. I think the class got to know a little more about you. Ok, I'm going to say two names and you will have to team up." said Ms. Lewis. Everybody grew silent. They were talking about Spencer and Ashley.

"Listen up! I don't want to repeat the names again. Duarte and Dennison you guys are a team." said Ms. Lewis. She teamed up everybody but two people. "Last but not least, Carlin and Davie I want you two to spend some time together." said Ms. Lewis. Everybody was saying that is not fair. Ashley and Spencer looked at each other. "Ok, Ms. Lewis. I think we can do that." said Ashley. The bell rang and everyone began cheering and rushing out of the classroom.

Ashley stayed behind. "Ms. Lewis, did you team me and Spencer up on purpose?" asked Ashley. Ms. Lewis smiled at Ashley. "Why would I do that on purpose?" asked Ms. Lewis. Ashley just laughed. "Well, thank you anyway." said Ashley. Ms. Lewis walked over to Ashley. "Don't thank me. I just teamed up people." said Ms. Lewis. Ashley was smiling. "I got to go or mom will have a heart attack." said Ashley. "Ok, see you tomorrow." said Ms. Lewis.

Ashley turned on her wheelchair and waved goodbye. She has to drive home in her wheelchair because her mom's van is broken. It is only five minutes to Ashley's house. She stopped by her locker to try to fix it up. She has a good idea who did this, but Ashley is not the type to squeel.

Spencer was there with a trashcan. "I thought you would need some help." said Spencer. Ashley just smiled at Spencer. "Oh I didn't expect anybody would help me, considering almost everybody thinks I'm a freak." said Ashley. "Okay, Ashley, if you let them get to you, you are putting yourself down." said Spencer. "You don't get it. No matter what I do, nobody wants to be my friend." said Ashley.

Tears went down Ashley's face. Spencer walked towards to Ashley. "That is not true." said Spencer. Ashley quickly rub her eyes. Spencer kneeled on the floor to have a good look at Ashley's face. "How would you know? You're the most popular girl at King High. You have no problem with friends." said Ashley.

It took Spencer a minute to answer Ashley. "I do know. This is my second year here." said Spencer. Ashley looked up at Spencer. Spencer has tears in her eyes. "Why are you being nice to me now? You didn't even notice me before." asked Ashley.

She straighten herself up. Spencer has a friendly face. "Let's see, why didn't you talk to me? How was I'm supposed to know?" asked Spencer. "Because I thought you are like the others." said Ashley. Spencer was shocked. "I'm not like the others." said Spencer After that discussion, they became very good friends.

THE END.


End file.
